First Night on Road

First Night Out
14/04/2010
After a busy morning finalising last minute details, trying to cut down on the items included but wanting to take enough “stuff” to last us eight or nine months, final cleaning and checking, we were ready to leave by 12 pm.
We breathed a sigh of relief as we manoeuvred the caravan down the narrow track of Brian’s hill. It was exciting to be on the road again!!
Our route took us along the Cunningham Highway to Warwick. The countryside from Boonah was so green after the recent rain that you would think you were in England. It was a magnificent clear day and the mountains around here were fresh and crisp against the clear blue sky. I always enjoy the drive up Cunningham’s Gap with its lush rainforest vegetation and then the decent onto the fertile plains of the Darling Downs. What a contrast since our last visit which was in the midst of the drought.
We passed through Warwick and planned to stay at a free camp near Inglewood. However we missed the turn off and ended up staying at the Oman-ama Store. What a fascinating store in the middle of nowhere – full of bric-a-brac, from cane toad skins to porcelain dolls, as well as Elvis memorabilia. There was a large statue of Elvis outside and an Elvis coat inside that was definitely not for sale.

We found a grassy patch overlooking the cows in the paddock. You forget how amazing our night sky is and how extensive the Milky Way is when it is disguised by the city lights.
We even had a mini fire. On a previous trip Brian saw an “old codger “ who had used a burnt out paint tin filled with twigs to boil the kettle. Of course Brian had to make one so we tried it out with great success.